Residents of Asante Mampong in the Ashanti Region have been thrown into shock and fear following the desecration of several graves at the town’s public cemetery by persons suspected to be engaging in ritual activities.

According to reports, the grave of the late queen mother of the local Frafra community, who died last year at the age of 85, was among those vandalised.

The perpetrators allegedly exhumed her body, severed the head, and abandoned the headless remains about five metres away from the grave. The gruesome discovery has sparked outrage among family members and the wider community.

Kwame Effa, the cemetery’s gravedigger and an eyewitness, said he rushed to the scene after receiving a distress call about the incident.

“When I arrived at the cemetery, I saw that the queen mother’s grave had been broken into. Her body had been removed from the coffin and dumped a few metres away without the head. I strongly suspect the criminals took it for ritual purposes,” he recounted.

The deceased’s son, Yaw Nsoh, also confirmed the incident, stating that although the coffin, clothes, and other burial items remained intact, his mother’s head had been cut off.

“Honestly, I will not sit aloof for anyone to disgrace my mother’s corpse. I will pursue both legal and spiritual means to ensure the perpetrators face justice,” he said.

Assembly Member for the Akyeremade Electoral Area, Kwame Nkrumah, described the incident as unprecedented in the locality.